In the world of high-end coffee makers, Jura and Miele are two big names. Both are known for producing great espresso and milk foam. Both brands’ offerings are bean-to-cup, have similar grinders, and have pre-brew systems to ensure great flavor extraction.
For all of their similarities though, the two brands aren’t identical.
You’ll find a wider range of options in Jura’s lineup; if you want to make cold brew beverages, you can find that at the top of their line. And while it still won’t be cheap, you can get a lower-tier Jura machine for around 60-70% of the cost of Miele’s bottom-rung model.
However, if you’re looking for a two-cup function and a built-in milk frother on every machine, you’ll find that with Miele.
Let’s take a closer look at these two brands and their automatic espresso machines to see which is ideal for your counter.
Jura vs Miele: A Background
Jura
The History
Jura is a Swiss company that has manufactured appliances since the 1930s. It was in the 1980s that the company produced Switzerland’s first automatic coffee machine with a built-in grinder and began to focus on the coffee machine market.
Since the 1990s, Jura has focused on creating the best possible fully automatic, bean-to-cup espresso machines. They have since phased out all of their other appliances and focused on making an international name for themselves in espresso machines.
The Espresso Machines
Jura markets a wide range of espresso makers. They’re all fully automatic, bean-to-cup machines, and some feature built-in milk frothers.
As a company, Jura has developed several technologies that help to craft a great espresso and a range of drinks. These include:
- Intelligent Pre-Brew Aroma System (IPBAS), which extracts the optimal aroma from any blend.
- Variable brewing unit, which adapts to use 5g-16g of ground coffee.
- Pulse Extraction Process (PEP), which uses short bursts of water to extract the best flavor.
- Cold Extraction Process, which allows some top-tier Jura machines to brew cold coffee beverages as well as hot ones.
Who Is It For?
Jura’s coffee makers make it easy to be a home barista. They make great-tasting cups of coffee, and all you have to do is press one button.
This makes them a good option for anyone who wants to make coffee shop quality drinks but doesn’t have the barista skills to pull a perfect espresso shot, layer their own latte, or craft a delicious cappuccino.
What Don’t We Love?
Though Jura makes a wide range of super automatics, all of them are expensive. Even if your heart is saying “Jura,” your wallet might disagree.
If you’re not sure you’re ready to commit to a luxury brand espresso machine like a Jura, there are more entry-level options out there.
Miele
The History
Miele is a German company that has been making high-end appliances since 1899. Miele introduced their first fully-automatic built-in coffee maker in 1998, and currently produces both countertop and built-in models.
Miele continues to produce a wide variety of appliances, not just coffee makers. It’s considered a high-end appliance brand.
The Espresso Machines
Miele makes two types of coffee machines – countertop models and built-in models.
All of Miele’s espresso machines include a built-in milk frother and a built-in grinder and have two coffee spouts to prepare two perfect coffees at once.
Some of Miele’s top-tier built-in espresso makers can even be connected directly to a water line, so you never have to fill a tank.
A few more neat brewing process features help make Miele coffee really delicious:
- AromaticSystem is an expanding brew chamber that lets the water really mix with the grounds and develop great flavor.
- DoubleShot is a function that prepares a beverage with twice the amount of coffee, but a shorter vented time to reduce bitterness.
- Conical Burr grinding unit is for fresh-ground flavor.
Who Is It For?
A Miele coffee maker is another good option for coffee lovers who are willing to shell out some cash for a machine that will make great-tasting, high-quality espresso-based drinks.
If you’re a true coffee nut and are planning to build a coffee machine into the wall of your luxury kitchen, Miele has you covered there, too.
Miele also has a removable brew unit, which is something that Jura doesn’t have. If you’re especially concerned about being able to take your machine apart and clean it yourself, Miele is the better option.
What Don’t We Love?
Miele is another brand with no entry-level options. We recommend that budget-conscious coffee fans look elsewhere.
All of Miele’s machines have built-in milk frothing systems. If you just want to enjoy a regular cup of coffee or plain espresso, these machines are more than you really need.
Jura Z10 vs Miele CoffeeSelect: A Luxury Showdown
Since we have already established that neither Jura nor Miele is the brand for the cost-conscious, let’s go big and take a look at two of their top-of-the-line options, the Jura Z10 and the Miele CoffeeSelect.
Jura Z10
The Jura Z10 is a high-end super-automatic coffee machine. It has 32 brew options, including 2-cup and extra-shot options. It also features Jura’s new Cold Brew Extraction technology. That means you can fix your favorite cold brew latte macchiato right at home.
With the Z10, Jura added a new feature called Product Recognizing Grinder. This means that based on what beverage you want to make, the grinder adjusts the fineness to the level that will produce the best flavor.
What We Love:
- 32 beverage options, including cold brews.
- Super customizable, with 10 levels of brew strength, 3 levels of brew temperature, and 10 temperatures of milk foam.
- Easy to clean, with integrated rinsing, cleaning, and descaling.
- Automatic Grinder Adjustment- coffee lovers know how important the right grind is to a flavorful brew, and this makes it easy.
What We Don’t Love:
- Milk container not included. It seems nit-picky, but for the price we’re paying, we shouldn’t have to buy additional accessories.
The Miele CoffeeSelect
The Miele CoffeeSelect is Miele’s flagship countertop coffee maker. If money is no object, this machine is packed full of features and has 20 brew options, including several tea settings.
The CoffeeSelect comes in black or white with stainless steel accents and has a clean, streamlined appearance. It’s operated with a color touchscreen.
The really exciting upgrade feature available in this model is the namesake Coffee Select feature. The coffee maker has three separate bean containers, and you can choose which one to grind when selecting your drink. Now when you’ve hit your caffeine limit, you can have decaf, still freshly ground.
What We Love:
- Three bean containers. The ability to switch up your bean selection is great for coffee flavor connoisseurs who don’t want the same roast in every cup.
- Programmable pre-brew. This allows you to set pre-infusion time, which is essential to bloom your coffee and get the best possible flavor.
- Dishwasher safe. Some of the components, like the water tank and waste grounds container, can be cleaned in the dishwasher, so that means fewer dishes for you!
- Brews a double shot that isn’t bitter. That speaks for itself.
What We Don’t Love:
- Price. Though neither machine is cheap, this one is quite a lot more than even the Jura Z10.
Which Luxury Coffee Brand Should You Choose?
We have to say that if money is no object, you can’t really go wrong with either of these brands.
While both are a big investment, they’re also both known for being durable and high-quality. They also both have a strong reputation in terms of taste and milk foam quality.
Lovers of cold brew might find the scales tipped in favor of Jura, as would coffee purists who don’t need a milk frother at all. That said, Miele is a strong competitor, especially for models in the middle of Jura’s range of coffee machines.
Happy Caffeinating!
